Around Australia Ocean Race and Rally Entries Tops 250!

6:32 PM Tue 9 Feb 2010 GMT

'Racetrack Diagram - Around Australia Ocean Race and Rally' Bob Williams Click Here to view large photo

Another major milestone reached in what is being hailed as Australia's 'Tour de France' on the water.

Ocean Events the Western Australian company behind the '2011 Around Australia Ocean Race' and '2011-12 Around Australia Ocean Rally' events announces that less than eight months after launching and nine months before Rally entries, and 13 months before Race entries close, collective slot reservations have now topped 250.

From Ocean Events CEO Bob Williams - 'We have a cap of 150 boats in the Race and 150 boats in the Rally.

Bob Williams CEO Ocean Events - Around Australia Ocean Race and Rally - Bob Williams Click Here to view large photo

Given the response to date we fully expect to get around 450 slot reservations before 2010 is out distilling down to a collective 300 boats participating.

This is a fabulous response and the 'Around Australia Ocean Race and Rally' event is becoming incredibly big. We have clearly identified something a huge number of sailors everywhere wants to do - sail around Australia. We urge people to get their slot reservations in fast so as not to miss out!

Between the Race fleet and the Rally fleet the 300 boats will cover a collective 4,800,000 kilometres (2,600,000 nautical miles) around the coastline of Australia. Equivalent to one boat sailing around the world 100 times!

A great feature of our event is that it allows people to visit remote and beautiful parts of Australia's coastline that they have never seen before and are very unlikely to ever see without being part of an event like the Around Australia Ocean Race and Rally. I'm referring to the Kimberlys region of Western Australia and the Ningaloo Reef, Shark Bay, the Abrolhos Islands, Recherch? Archipelago as cases in point.

Event planning is progressing well thanks to the fabulous support we are receiving from yacht clubs and coastal cities and towns around Australia.'

The 2011 Around Australia Ocean Race and the 2011-12 Around Australia Ocean Rally are separate events based on a circumnavigation of the coastline of Australia.

A key feature of both events is that participants can Start and Finish their participation in the event from a principle port of choice which may be their home port or a port nearby. Crew changes are permitted at stop-over ports.

The 2011 Around Australia Ocean Race event spans over 5 months. The span of time for individual yachts participating in the Race will be around 110 days. The first Race yachts will start from Perth in late June 2011. The minimum length of boat in the Race is 30'. Minimum number of crew is two. All boats participating must comply with ISAF/Yachting Australia Category 1 Safety Provisions.

Draft Around Australia Ocean Race Timeline Diagram - Bob Williams Click Here to view large photo

The 2011-12 Around Australia Ocean Rally event spans over 12 months. The first Rally yachts will start from Perth in late January 2011. The minimum length of boat in the Rally is 30'. Minimum crew is two. All boats participating must comply with ISAF/Yachting Australia Category 1 Safety Provisions.

International participants can choose their start/finish port of choice on the east or west coast of Australia. Asian participants can start/finish from Broome in Western Australia. For information please go the event web site www.sailaroundaustralia.com.au

Around Australia Ocean Rally - Rally Timeline (Draft) - Bob Williams Click Here to view large photo

To reserve a 'slot in the Race or the Rally go to the event web site www.sailaroundaustralia.com.au and complete the simple on-line 'Slot Reservation' procedure.

For enquiries and information please contact info@sailaroundaustralia.com.au
Call +61 (0) 413 057 559

by Bob Williams